New GI Bill Passes Senate
Democrats attached Jim Webb's powerful GI Bill for the 21st Century to the war funding bill, and threw in some home heating assistance and extension of unemployment for good measure, and several Republican Senators still felt they had to vote yes. It passed 75-22. McCain did not vote, but is on record against it. Bush has promised a veto, claiming we can't afford all of these expenditures for the troops who have served the country.

So far as I'm concerned, it doesn't get any more support-the-troops than this. As Obama said over the weekend, it is not charity. They have served us, risking life and limb in the process. We owe them decent health care and real education opportunity when they return.

We will see if the House can muster a veto-proof majority as well. Honestly, I wish Democrats would just have a straight vote on the GI bill, and not attach other things, just to force McCain and other Republicans to be against it without the cover of claiming there is all kinds of extra needless spending. But that's how the game is played, and they certainly did it to us time and time again. And I guess if it's the only way to get home heating assistance passed, then so be it.